


La Cienega Just Smiled

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: My Boss's Niece [4]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 02:43:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6685996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Sometimes you go far away and I don’t know how to find you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	La Cienega Just Smiled

_Ah the night…here it comes again  
Its on with the jeans, the jacket, and the shirt  
How’d I end up feeling so bad  
For such a little girl  
And I hold you close in the back of my mind  
Feels so good but damn it makes me hurt  
And I'm so scared to know how I feel about you now  
La Cienega just smiled…see ya around_.

“This guy is way too depressed.” Josh fluffed up the pillows he was laying on, throwing his hands behind his head.

“He is not. This music is beautiful and I love it.”

“That concerns me…it truly does.”

Hogan poked him in his arm.

“Shut up.”

She read _Washington Post_ , sitting Indian style on her bed as Ryan Adams played from the stereo. It was a sunny Sunday morning in September and the White House Chief of Staff was determined at least to spend the morning with his girlfriend.

“Hey, Concannon is trashing the Administration. I love this guy.”

Josh took the paper from her.

“Fucking Danny.” He muttered. “If CJ was still Press Secretary she could get him to curb things like this. George has no control at all over the press…nine months later and it is still the OK Corral in that press room.”

“Danny did not always listen to CJ.” Hogan replied, lighting a cigarette and putting the song on repeat. “Anyway, he totally wanted to go to bed with her. In the early days of the Bartlet Administration she also had no control of the pressroom. Remember Bartlet the dog hater?”

Josh smirked. Yeah, it had not always been easy for CJ. But dammit if she was not good at her job and he held everyone else to that high standard.

“I keep thinking about psychics at Cal Tech.” Josh said.

“Hey, she fixed that mistake. What is Danny bitching about this week anyway?”

“The Secretary of State’s diplomacy trip. How they are refusing to meet with countries other than our allies.”

“Um, duh. I know I would not want to dodge bullets in the capital of Palestine. What is the capital of Palestine?”

“I don’t know.” Josh shrugged. “How many times are you going to play this song sweetie?”

“As many times as I want to. Do not divert attention from the fact that you do not know the capital of Palestine.” Hogan said.

“Hey, neither do you.”

“Yeah, but I asked you. Who are you going to ask? You are the White House Chief of Staff; former Deputy Chief of Staff.”

“Well, I must have slept through college geography. Gimme some of your coffee.”

Josh reached over for the large mug and she slapped his hand. Josh looked at her with wide eyes.

“Hey!”

“Firstly, you never slept through anything in college. Secondly, there is too much sugar in my coffee…it is the way I like it. would you like me to get you a cup honey?”

“I would.”

Hogan got up from the bed and left the room. She threatened to punch Josh if he touched the stereo remote, so he lay there and read Doonesbury and Peanuts. He was laughing when she came into the room.

“That Schroeder is a real riot.” He said taking the coffee. “Oh, this is good.”

Hogan sat back on the bed, continuing her forage through the newspaper. She liked these times with Josh the best. Just the two of them being normal people in their little bubble. They would not bicker about their secret relationship. They would not try to one up each other on whatever game they played. OK, they still tried to one up each other. That was fun though, never intended to be mean or hurtful.

She still wished they had more time to spend time together, but patience was essential. Josh always made the few hours they had together a week special, whether they made love, argued about CNN and policies, or lay together listening to the sounds of Glover Park below Hogan’s bedroom window. The action never ceased due to the large population of college students.

“What's on your mind?” Josh asked.

She was now leafing through the Metro section.

“Nothing. I think we should see The Da Vinci Code.”

“OK. But something else is on your mind. Your eyes are glassy.”

“Nope, I'm fine.” She looked at him. “Are we really going to the movies?”

“Sure, we can go next Saturday night. Just because we go to the movies it will not give anyone the impression that we are having an illicit affair. We are not by the way. I have never done anything illicit in my life.” Josh said. “Are you sure you are alright?”

“Mmm hmm. And you're lying…I am sure you’ve done something illicit.”

Hogan leaned back against Josh’s chest as he sipped his coffee. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

“Sometimes you go far away and I don’t know how to find you.” He whispered.

“I'm here.”

He ran his fingers through her hair.

“I've lost a lot of people too sweetie.”

“I know.” Hogan replied. “I cannot dwell Josh. I cannot dwell that Alzheimer’s stole my grandfather. Or that I have not had a decent conversation with my mother in almost five years. I cannot be mad that I am in love and no one can know.”

“Hey, we can do something about that one.”

“What?”

“We don’t have to tell everyone, but we can go out more. Meet for late dinners instead of just coming back to one apartment or the other.” Josh said. “None of this is worth it if you are not happy…I want to make you happy.”

“Yeah.”

Josh sometimes wondered what Hogan had been through. He hoped one day she would talk about her mother walking out on her or her tattered relationship with her father. She was so attached to CJ and Leo; treated them like surrogate parents. Hogan sighed, running her hand down Josh’s thigh. She grabbed the stereo remote and skipped CDs. Rilo Kiley blasted through the speakers…Hogan checked the volume.

“Ah, it is definitely a ‘lets play music that Josh does not know’ kind of morning.” He said.

“You know this band; I play them all the time. Anyway, I am in a mood. Hold me tighter Lyman.”

Josh put both arms around her and she tilted her head to kiss his cheek.

“You know what I just thought of?” she asked. “Isn't Jerusalem the capital of Palestine? Considering they were once where Israel is now and they are not even a country anymore. Isn’t that what the fight is about anyway? It is holy land for both of them?”

“I think you may be right sweetie. You know, we could do something today.” He replied. “We could go to the mall; have some lunch and do a bit of shopping.

Hogan loved shopping and it was one of the few activities Josh usually balked about doing with her.

“You are going to spoil me Lyman.”

“Get used to it. Yeah, let’s take the entire afternoon for ourselves.”

_I can quiet your demons love_ , Josh thought to himself, holding her and committing her scent to memory. _You have no idea that you are the only person who can quiet mine_. They did not say anything for a while; Hogan slipped her fingers in his and held his hands close.

“I love you.” She said.

“I love you too Hogan. C’mon, let’s get out of this bed and do something with ourselves.”

“A shower would be nice. You smell like stale office.”

“A shower together?” Josh asked.

Hogan smiled.

“Why not? You have been very sweet this morning and deserve a reward.” She climbed off the bed. “Bring all the supplies Skipper.”

She went into the bathroom; Josh went into the nightstand and then followed.

***


End file.
